A Broken Home
by Lily Hanson
Summary: "I'm human. I have good days and I have bad days. And yes, sometimes, I cry. But that's none of your concern. If you were really my friends, you'd butt out."
1. Curiosity

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Dino Charge. This story is fan-made._

_Author's Note: This is an follow up to __"A Broken Heart"__ that seemed to resonate with a lot of people. I love Kendall as a character, so this is my chance to dissect her a little more. Hope you enjoy it!_

With a new fossil came a lot more work. Kendall spent a bunch of time working in the museum as part of her cover job. With her lab deep under the museum, Kendall needed a reason for being in this location every single day and having to work for the museum was a great cover. One Kendall, admittedly, loved very much. Her job consisted of examining the mysteries of life, and putting together the giant puzzle that was Earth. She studied everything from the origin of life itself, all the way up until now, when man dominated the planet. She studied how life had affected the Earth, and how the Earth itself affected life. What was the first organism to walk, or float, considering life started in the water, the Earth? How did that organism come to be? And if we all stemmed from that single individual, how were there so many different species walking the world today?

These were all questions people had asked her, and they were questions for which she had some, but not all the answers. Every new fossil discovered was another piece of an ever growing puzzle. She might not ever be able to figure out the meaning of life in her lifetime, but she wanted to contribute as much as she could to the research.

Kendall removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. Her work was fascinating and it was her passion, but there was always a time for rest. Checking her watch, she realized she had stayed way past the museum's closing hours. It was almost midnight and she needed to get home. She put her work in her bag and started to make her way out to the car.

Her mind never really rested. She never liked when it did. She had just finished a full day's work at her cover job, but her real job, the one she still couldn't believe she had landed, needed her even more. Sledge and his army were getting tougher and tougher by the day, and while the Rangers were handling him and his monsters brilliantly, they needed to be a step ahead. That was her job. She was the one who came up with their new weapons, their new modes, and in some cases, their plans of attack. She had a smart team of Rangers under her thumb, but more often than not, she had to be the brain for all five of them.

And they appreciated her work. After all, it was her work that had saved their lives in battles countless times. However, there was not a day off to be had. Evil never rested, so she couldn't either.

With her mind preoccupied with coming up with something new to send Sledge, Fury, and the monsters running, Kendall made it home in what felt like no time at all. She grabbed herself a quick bite to eat and sat down on her couch. She was going to let her mind drift back to working for the Rangers when she saw an unfamiliar sight. Her cell phone, which she had placed on her coffee table, was telling her someone had left her a voicemail.

Surely it had to be a mistake. No one called her. She had no family to speak of, and her coworkers only ever talked to her at work. The Rangers had their Dino Coms, so there was no need for her to have a cell phone. In fact, she didn't know why she still had it around. Perhaps it was so that she didn't feel like even more of an outsider than she already was.

Curiosity got the best of her, as it did for any scientist, and she reached for her phone. She accessed her voicemail, which took her an embarrassingly long time for someone who was supposed to be one of the most brilliant minds of this generation.

Her voicemail indicated the message had been left for her hours before. Obviously whoever called didn't realize she never checked her phone. They were lucky, in fact, that she realized a message was waiting for her within the day. Finally, the message was played for her.

"_Hi... um, I hope I've got the right number. I saw you worked at the museum and tracked you down that way. I... well, I guess I should introduce myself seeing as it's been so long. I'm Tom Morgan. Your... uh... well..."_

Kendall shut off her phone and threw it across the room once she heard the name. Just from the voice, she knew this was someone she had met once before, but the name was one she could never forget.

She wanted desperately to find out what he wanted. At the same time, she wanted nothing to do with him. He had neglected her for over a two decades now. She wanted nothing to do with him.

But curiosity was a funny thing, especially in the mind of a scientist. Curiosity always pushed her to investigate; to find the answers to the big questions.

Kendall had answered a lot of big questions in her career. But the biggest question of all was something no fossil could answer. It was a question in three parts that she had tried to push from her mind.

What was wrong with her? Why had he left her? Would he ever come back?

The final question seemed answered on the surface. But without knowing the answers to the other two, Kendall was still left in the dark on all accounts.

Her father had returned: Why? What did he want?

She curled up on the couch, staring at her phone across the room like it was the monster she used to believe was hiding in her closet as a little girl. The monster her father used to chase away before bed – until he left.

She wanted answers. She wanted to confront her father. At the same time, she wanted nothing to do with him. He had abandoned her; he shouldn't have a second chance.

The battle between her curiosity and keeping her heart protected tore her up. Tears slipped down her cheeks. She pulled the blanket down from the back of the couch, wrapped herself up in it and cried herself to sleep.


	2. A Visitor

Kendall walked into work the following morning with her regular, though some would call it cold, demeanour. She didn't want anyone to know what had happened the night before. If someone knew, they would try to talk to her about it. They would try to open her up. She wouldn't allow it. People could only break her heart, and if she let them in, she was giving them that opportunity.

She had work to do at the museum, but first, she needed to head downstairs to her lab. She brought with her a takeout bag filled with food for Koda for breakfast. He couldn't do much hunting down in his cave, so Kendall had promised to bring him something in the mornings when she arrived to work. She also had a breakfast for herself. Koda appreciated having someone to dine with, even if they weren't eating the same thing.

She stepped into the elevator and pushed a combination of buttons that allowed her to go all the way down to the lab. When she opened the door, she saw Koda was already up and had already eaten and Chase was keeping him entertained.

"There's the girl we love," Chase hopped off her work table and walked over to her. He put his arm around her, like he usually did when he was talking to any girl. Kendall rolled her eyes.

"What?"

"Hey, what makes you think I need something?" Chase asked her and moved so he was standing in front of her. "Can't a guy just tell a girl he appreciates her without wanting something in return?"

"In your case, no," Kendall shook her head. "Not to mention, I find the more you suck up to me, the more you're asking for. And love is a bit of a strong word for us, don't you think?"

Chase scratched the back of his neck nervously, while Koda sniffed the air. He had already eaten, but that never stopped him taking in more food. His stomach was like a bottomless pit. Kendall held up the bag of breakfast.

"Tell me what he wants, Koda, and I'll let you have this."

"Chase break Dino Com," Koda told her. Kendall tossed him the bag and glared at the black Ranger.

"Again?"

"Would you believe me if I said it was one of Fury's guys?"

"No," Kendall held out her hand, "Just give it to me. You do understand, Chase, that when you mess around with your Ranger tech, you're only giving me more work to do, right?"

"I was trying out a new stunt," Chase admitted. "I crashed and landed on... well, I think you can guess."

"Just... get upstairs, get to work and let me handle it," Kendall said and pointed to the elevator. "Koda, when you're done breakfast you can follow him. Maybe if I get some peace, I'll be able to squeeze in some time to fix your mistakes, Chase."

"Alright, alright," Chase put his hands up, then pat Koda on the back, "Come on, big guy. Kendall seems quite tense today."

"Break Dino Com," Koda reminded him. "Give Kendall lots of work. Kendall already stay until... um... middle of night working."

Kendall shook her head as she watched the two make their way into the elevator. She then looked down at Chase's Dino Com. She realized it likely had been an accident. Chase was a bit of a goof, but he had never done anything intentionally to hurt or upset someone. Still, she didn't appreciate how his mistake gave her extra work. She was already busy enough juggling both her job at the museum and her job for the Rangers. She was looking at another long night.

"Probably a good thing," she muttered to herself as she started to get to work, "Might help me forget."

She worked through lunch. Riley had been nice enough to bring her down something to eat from the cafe, though Kendall had been so focused on her work, she hadn't gotten the chance to thank him. When she got into something, the world around her seemed to fade away to nothing.

She worked hard until she got a call on her phone. She had one down in the lab that was linked to her office phone upstairs, that way she could be reached no matter where she was. It was helpful to keep the Dino Lab a secret from all the other non-Ranger employees upstairs.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Morgan, there's a man here asking after you."

"I'm a little busy," she sighed. This wasn't an everyday occurrence, but it happened often enough for her to make nothing of it. She had published quite a bit of work and when some of her fans found it she was available at the museum, they would try to get a tour booked with her. Sometimes, just to meet her in person. Sometimes, it was to pick her brain. In both cases, she didn't like when people sought her out. She preferred leading tours where she could do most of the talking. She didn't want people poking their noses where they didn't belong. She published everything she wanted the world to know about her and her work. The rest was for herself only.

"He's a little insistent."

Kendall sighed, dropped her work on the table then made her way to the elevator. It brought her up to the museum, where she made her way to the cafe, where the man had likely been told to wait. Most people who came in for personal visits were told to wait in the cafe, if they weren't brought to whomever they wanted to see.

She looked around in the hopes that whoever he was, he had changed his mind and left. Instead, she saw a face she barely recognized sitting at one of the tables. He was older – much older than she remembered. His hair had greyed and there were quite a few lines on his face but she still knew who he was.

"No," she shook her head when she saw her and pointed to the door, "Get out."

"Kendall," he got up from his chair and started to make his way over, "I just want to talk. Did you get my message?"

"I don't care," Kendall shook her head. "You're not welcome here."

"It's a public museum," her father pulled out a ticket, "I even paid for a tour. I'm allowed to be here."

"Dad..."

"I can show him around!" Shelby announced as she appeared from somewhere behind Kendall. "Ms. Morgan, if you're too busy I know all about the dinosaurs in the exhibit. I'd..."

"You're needed here," Kendall reminded the pink Ranger, "Table eight looks hungry."

"But I..."

"Shelby, get back to work," Kendall said. Shelby sighed then muttered something about hating her job as she got back to it. Kendall turned to glare at her father. "As for you, I don't know where you disappeared to, but go back."

Kendall turned to leave. Her father grabbed her arm and turned her back, "Kendall, please, just hear me out," he held up a magazine where one of her research papers had been published, "I've been following you since I saw you in here. Do you remember this article?"

Kendall grabbed the magazine, had a look at the date, then scoffed and shoved it back in her father's hands.

"For a year? You've been wondering about me for a year? Try twenty years, dad... if I can still call you that."

"Kendall, please, just... hear me out..."

"I'm not interested in whatever you want," Kendall shook her head. She pointed to the door, "Get out, before I have security escort you out."

Her father looked pleadingly at her, but Kendall didn't waver. She glared hatefully as she pointed to the door. He sighed, lowered the magazine and made his way out.

"Whoa," Shelby breathed as she walked over. "Harsh, much, Ms. Morgan?"

"This isn't any of your concern, Shelby," Kendall growled. "Get back to work. I'll be downstairs."

As Kendall started to leave, she could hear Shelby and Riley talking about her.

"Guess we shouldn't take it personal when she snaps," Riley said.

"She kicked her own father out of the museum. That's cold," Shelby agreed.

Kendall pretended not to hear them. She knew what the scene must have looked like to people watching. She knew, to other people, she had played the part of the cold hearted bitch that put her work before her family. But they didn't know the truth.

She made it down to the lab and walked to her work station. She looked at the Dino Charger she had been working on – the ones she hoped she could charge up for a new power up for the Rangers.

"_Kendall, what are you doing?" _her mother asked her and a young Kendall turned away from the window for just a second.

"_I'm waiting for the post man," _she said. Her mother shook her head.

"_I keep telling you, a letter's not coming. Go upstairs and work on your homework."_

"_But it was my birthday. Daddy sent me something last year."_

"_And nothing since. He's gone, Kendall. Forget about him."_

"_No,"_ Kendall shook her head and looked out the window again to see the mail had arrived. She raced out the front door to intercept the mail man and asked politely to take the letters. He gave them to her, then continued on his route. Kendall rushed back inside and looked through all the letters in her hands, throwing on the floor the ones that weren't addressed to her until she reached the end. There was nothing left in her hands.

"_But... but... something should have come by now," _Kendall looked up sadly at her mother. _"It's been two weeks..."_

"_It's not coming,"_ her mother shook her head. _"Your father doesn't care about you. The sooner you accept that, the better off we'll both me."_

"_But... but..."_

"_Go upstairs, get your homework done."_

In the present, Kendall stared down at the Charger in her hand as a wave of rage overwhelmed her. With a cry, she tossed the charger across the room. As the Charger hit the opposite wall, her legs buckled and she hit the floor sobbing.


	3. A Big Favour

After the accidental run in with her father, Kendall spent the day down in the lab, working on both her duties for the museum and duties for the Rangers there. In the lab was where she felt safest. Only a handful of people knew of its existence and those people were at work. She would have the privacy and the space she needed to work in peace.

But when it came time to go home, Kendall knew she would have to leave. Koda made his way down into the cave with a meal for the both of them, but Kendall shook her head.

"Not tonight, Koda. I'm... I'm not hungry."

Kendall packed up her bag and was about to head out when Koda grabbed her by the arm.

"Kendall is... not happy?"

Kendall thought she had hidden her emotions better than that. Then again, she was used to hiding her emotions from people from this century. Back in Koda's time, body language was the primary language spoken. He could pick up on subtle hints about what a person was thinking or feeling just by the way they held themselves. Where he failed in English, he excelled at reading other people.

"It's just been a long day," she explained and hoped he wouldn't try to dig further.

"Not happy about... uh... father visit?" Koda asked. Kendall turned to him, a little shocked. She had overheard the other speaking after she kicked her father out of the museum. They had pinned the blame on her for the whole mess, believing her to be the mean one for not giving her father, the man they thought had raised her, the time of day. Koda seemed to know it was more than that. He looked to her sympathetically. "Kendall, uh... look tight when father show up."

"I was a little tense," Kendall admitted. "But it's really nothing..."

"Can talk with Koda," he lifted the bag of food he brought down, offering her the meal he made in the cafe. Kendall took the bag, then looked Koda dead in the eyes.

"This is a secret, got it."

"Secret," Koda nodded. "Not share with others?"

"Exactly. This stays between you and me."

Koda gave another little nod to indicate he understood, then he and Kendall took a seat to start their meal. Kendall sighed loudly.

"My dad... wasn't around growing up," she admitted. "When he and my mom broke up, he took off."

"Father leave Kendall?"

"It's been twenty years," Kendall nodded. "Almost to the day since I last saw him. And that's not for a lack of trying. For years when he first took off, I sent him letters, post cards, report cards... he never answered."

"Father supposed to protect Kendall," Koda said. "Father defend... uh... family?"

"Mine didn't. He didn't want anything to do with me."

"Kendall is... angry with father?" Koda asked. "That why you... um, kick out of museum?"

"Yeah. I... I guess I am a bit angry," Kendall nodded. Koda moved in closer and put his arm around her.

"Okay to feel angry... sometimes," Koda said. "Uh, I angry when my father die. Left Koda with lot of... responsibilities. Little brother probably angry when Koda frozen in glacier."

"I'm glad you get it, Koda," Kendall said, then pushed away what was left of her dinner. "Thanks for the talk, but I've really got to get home. I'm going to try and forget about this day."

Koda watched sadly as Kendall abandoned her meal and walked out of the lab. He had been sworn to secrecy, so he knew he couldn't tell the other Rangers about this, but he wanted to help Kendall. She had done so much for him since he had thawed, it felt like he owed her something in return. But because she had made him promise not to share, Koda wouldn't. He was extremely loyal, and wouldn't break the bond of trust she felt with him. He knew that if he broke that trust, he was likely to do more harm than good.

Upstairs, Kendall was just leaving the museum to head to her car, but stopped halfway when she saw someone waiting there for her. Leaning against the driver side door was her father. She turned to leave, choosing to abandon her car for the night over speaking with her father, but he saw he and ran after her.

"Kendall, wait! This is important."

"Important to you, maybe," Kendall said. "Leave me alone, dad."

"Can we please just sit down somewhere, have dinner or something, and talk it out? Like adults?"

"I've had dinner."

"Then coffee."

"No."

"Kendall, look... you don't understand..."

"That's just it, dad!" Kendall pulled her arm out from his hand and glared up at him, "I was six. I didn't understand. And since then, you've had twenty years to make me understand why you ran off and abandoned me, but you didn't!"

"Kendall, it's complicated."

"No, it's not!" Kendall shook her head. "You had a daughter. You were supposed to take care of me!"

Kendall turned away from her father, "So whatever it is you want from me now, it's too late."

"I'm in a lot of trouble, Kendall," he father called after her as he followed her down the street. "I've fallen on hard times, and I owe more than I have. I've got to keep a roof over my family's head and I can't do that without your help."

Kendall spun around and glared angrily at her father, "Are you kidding me?"

"I know this is... weird," her father said. "But you've been so successful lately and I was hoping you'd be able to spare me a couple thousand dollars, just as a loaner. I promise, I'll pay you back."

"You're out of your mind!"

"My kids are only eight and ten," her father said. "I can't have them living on the streets. I promised them I'd take care of this."

Kendall looked to her father in disgust, "You can't disappoint these kids, but you're more than happy to abandon your six year old daughter because of a fight with her mother?"

"I know I'm asking for a lot, but think of the kids," her father said. "If you won't do it for me, do it for them. Your brother and sister..."

"You are not my family," Kendall growled. "You... you're..."

Kendall let out a little cry and turned her back to her father, just as he had done to her twenty years before. He called out to her, begging she not leave him this way, but she ignored his cries.

She had dreamt of this since the moment she realized her father had abandoned her. She always wondered how it would feel to give him a taste of his own medicine. She thought it would feel good. She thought it would instill in her a sense of pride. She was strong enough to stand up for herself without his support or teachings. She had found her own way in this world without needing to depend on a father. However, this moment left her feeling worse. She barely made it a couple of blocks from the museum before she fell to her knees a sobbing mess.

"Ms. Morgan?" she heard someone call her name but didn't look up. She couldn't care less who it was or what they did at this moment. But this person wrapped one arm around her and lifted her to feet gently. "What happened to you?"

Kendall looked up, seeing Tyler, but she couldn't bring herself to explain her breakdown. Tyler helped her into his jeep then insisted he take her home. She was barely able to tell him where she lived. Tyler pulled away from the street. As he drove off, he reached across the seat and took Kendall's hand.

"It's gonna be alright," he said. "Whatever's going on, we'll figure it out."


	4. A Breach of Trust

Tyler fumbled through Kendall's cupboards as he looked for the tea. He thought he would make some to calm her down but he couldn't find anything in her apartment. In fact, he had never really considered she owned an apartment. She was always in the lab when he needed her, and when she wasn't there, she was somewhere around the museum. A part of him always thought she lived there – kind of like how Koda lived in his cave. He knew it was a bit silly.

"You don't have to stay," Kendall insisted to him as she stepped out of the bathroom. She had insisted on taking a shower after Tyler picked her up on the streets. Her encounter with her father left her feeling gross and she had hoped a shower would wash it all away. It hadn't, but at least she got the space she needed to calm down a little bit.

"And leave you like this?" he asked and shook his head. He finally found the tea and pulled out a bag, "No way. How do you take it?"

"Black," she told him. Tyler started the kettle then looked around as Kendall took a seat on the couch.

"Nice place," he said. "Miles better from what I've got. Not that I'm complaining but the museum would never allow me to afford a place this nice."

"Are you asking for a raise?"

"No way," Tyler shook his head. "Though, I'm not about to turn one down."

Kendall grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around herself. Tyler made his way over and sat down next to her.

"We can talk about... this," Tyler said. "I'm a pretty good listener, so if you wanted to get it off your chest..."

"It's really personal, Tyler," Kendall insisted. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"I understand," Tyler gave a little nod, "But if it's hurting you this much, would it really be that bad to talk to someone about it?"

Kendall took in a deep breath, looked Tyler in the eyes and nodded, "We're business partners, Tyler. You work in the cafe to serve people food."

"And I love my job," Tyler nodded.

"But that's as far as this goes," Kendall said. "That, and our Ranger duties. We don't need to get wrapped up in each other's personal lives. If anything, it could be dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Tyler frowned. "How so?"

"It just... could. Trust me."

"And tackling... whatever it is that's hurting you alone isn't dangerous?"

"It's my problem," Kendall shrugged. "I'll take care of it. Alone."

"Alright. I guess, if you insist, then there's nothing I can do," Tyler said. He heard the kettle whistling so got up and poured Kendall her tea. When she took it, he pointed to the door, "I guess I'll be headed off, then."

"Thanks for the ride home, Tyler."

"Yeah, any time," Tyler nodded as he made his way out.

-Dino-Charge-

The following morning, Tyler was at the museum bright and early. He shift in the cafe didn't start for another hour, but Tyler hoped he could get a couple words in with Chase and Koda before work did start. They had spent the most time with Kendall so surely they would have a better idea of what had caused her to break down in the middle of the street.

Unfortunately, but as usual, Chase wasn't around, and likely wouldn't make it to the museum until just moments before the start of the day. So Tyler had to rely on Koda. Luckily, the Blue Ranger was up early as well as he set up the tables and chairs for the day.

"Hey, big guy," Tyler smiled as he walked in, hiding a bag full of breakfast sandwiches behind him. Koda could smell them instantly and hoped they were for him. Tyler showed him the bag, but didn't hand it over.

"You've known Kendall a while, right?"

Koda nodded his head. "Kendall first face I saw when glacier... unfreeze."

"Cool, cool," Tyler said. "So, that was, what... a little while ago?"

"Koda... um... bad with time," Koda reminded him. "Only know it's time for work because Kendall is down in lab."

"But, you've gotten to know her, right?"

"Know her?" Koda asked, then nodded his head, "Yes. I know Kendall."

"So, would you know why I picked her up off the streets yesterday? I'm only asking because... well, it's not like her to... well... cry. Or show any emotion, whatsoever, I guess."

"Why Kendall cry?" Koda asked and seemed genuinely concerned. Tyler hoped he could use that in his favour.

"She wouldn't tell me. So I was hoping you would know if something happened to her yesterday. Something upsetting."

Koda looked like he wanted to share, but then stopped himself and shook his head. "Secret."

Tyler waved the bag of food, "So, you're not going to trade me? Come on, Koda, whatever it is, I only want to help. We both know Kendall's not the emotional type. Don't you think we should try to help her if she's crying?"

Koda hesitated. On the one hand, Kendall had sworn him to secrecy, and he took his promises seriously. On the other hand, Tyler was offering him food, he was hungry, and more importantly, he wanted to know what had upset Kendall.

"Alright," Tyler stated when he saw Koda wasn't ready to spill, "How about, I just guess. You don't have to tell me anything. Just... nod when I'm close."

Koda seemed unsure, but went along with it.

"Does it have anything to do with her dad showing up?" Tyler asked. "She kicked him out pretty fast yesterday. So there's got to be a story there, right?"

Koda gave a little nod. Tyler traded him a sandwich.

"So, there is something there. Does she get along with him?"

Koda shook his head and received another sandwich. Tyler scratched his chin as he tried to come up with another question. He thought about Kendall and everything he knew about her, though it wasn't much. She worked in the museum, liked dinosaurs, and came up with their weapons and battle gear in her secret, underground lab. He thought about her apartment. Surely, something there had to reflect who she was or what her interests were.

He realized, thinking back, that the apartment wasn't really... homey. There had been no pictures on the walls or in frames. No quirky little decor pieces or souvenirs from trips. Her apartment was just as cold and unwelcoming as her personality.

And she never mentioned going out with friends or spending time with family. Tyler didn't often visit his mother, but shared stories including her and even his father with the others. In fact, all the Rangers liked to talk about their families from time to time, and sometimes did so in front of Kendall.

And whenever they did, she always seemed to hang back silently. She never had anything to say.

"She doesn't have a relationship with her family, does she?"

Koda hesitantly gave a little nod, "Angry," he said. Tyler gave him the sandwiches that were left in the bag.

"I think I know what to do," he said. "Thanks, Koda, you were a big help!"

Koda watched the red Ranger race off across the museum and suddenly lost his appetite. He technically hadn't said anything to Tyler about Kendall that he didn't already know. The way Kendall had dismiss her father the day before would have led nearly anyone to believe she wasn't happy with him. Yet, somehow, he felt like he had betrayed Kendall's trust. She had confided her secret that her father had walked out on her as a child. Now, Tyler was on the verge of finding out, all because Koda loved to eat.

He continued to set up the restaurant but moved at a slower pace. He hoped Tyler was right, and he really did want to and know how to help Kendall. If he wasn't, Koda risked losing one of his first friends since being thawed.

The cafe was just a few minutes away from opening. The other Rangers had arrived for their shift, and Chase was just getting in when suddenly Koda heard his name being shouted. He looked up and saw Kendall storming over, with an apologetic Tyler running after her.

"Ms. Morgan, I didn't mean..."

"What the hell did you tell him?" Kendall ignored Tyler and glared directly at Koda. She was much smaller than him, and didn't have close to the same strength, endurance, or power he had, but the way she looked at him made him feel very weak.

"Ms. Morgan, it's alright. I didn't see much of my father growing up either," Tyler said and hoped that would diffuse the situation a little bit. "He'd get so caught up in his work..."

"I trusted you," Kendall growled to Koda. "Do you have any idea what that means?"

Koda lowered his head, "Sorry, Kendall."

"What I told you last night was personal," Kendall growled at him. "I told you that in confidence, Koda. You can't even hold it in a full day before you go blabbing about it to Tyler?"

"Ms. Moran, it's not his fault. I bribed him with food and you know what Koda's like..."

"I know he's not an idiot!" Kendall shouted and Koda felt worse about his betrayal. It was true, in some ways, what she was saying. While Koda understood he was a fish out of water, he knew he wasn't an idiot. He was adapting quickly to his new world. His English, though it was rather broken, was still much better than anyone expected from him, yet it still wasn't enough to get his thoughts across all the time. Unfortunately, that often led others to believe he wasn't as smart as he was. Sometimes, that included his Ranger teammates. Though they always tried to treat him as equal, sometimes, he didn't quite feel it from them.

But never from Kendall. She bribed him with food, from time to time, just like the others, but she also treated him a lot better. She trusted him with weapons that would take out entire cities. She trusted him to work in the museum cafe and to work on her dig team. She trusted him to care for fossils that were older than he was, and trusted he wouldn't break them, in spite of his strength. She trusted him to live in her lab, with all her precious equipment. She ate dinner with him every night, knowing it was the closest thing he had to a family in this new world.

And most importantly, she had trusted him to keep a very personal secret. A secret no one else would have been willing to share with him.

"Koda... apologizes," he said. Kendall shook her head and glared at him. At least, that was what the others saw. Koda knew she was hurting. Koda knew she was on the verge of tears, even if she wouldn't show it.

"Forget it, Koda," she shook her head then turned to Tyler, "As for you, stay out of my business."

"But Ms. Morgan..."

"I'm human, Tyler. I have good days and I have bad days. And yes, sometimes, I cry. But that's none of your concern."

"But..."

"If you were really my friends, you'd butt out," Kendall insisted, then gestured around the cafe, "All of you, get to work."


	5. Digging

It had been a long, difficult day for Koda. After breaking his promise to Kendall, he didn't feel like doing much. He was more than useless as a waiter, as he didn't even try to communicate with the hungry customers. While busing the tables, he broke more dishes than he returned to the kitchen because he wasn't being careful with his strength. As a cook, he burnt most of the food, and what was edible usually wasn't what the customer had ordered.

When his lunch break came around, Koda didn't eat. Normally he was able to wolf down a couple of regular meals. This time, he barely took a bite out of his burger.

By the end of the day, Koda had to drag himself back to his cave in the hopes tomorrow would be better. Maybe after a night of rest, Kendall could forgive him.

Unfortunately, Koda didn't have to wait until morning to bump into her. As he was entering the lab, she was leaving. She brushed past him on the way out. Koda sighed and reached out to grab her arm. Another apology couldn't hurt.

"Kendall," he said. "I am very sorry."

Kendall looked to him, not with a scowl, but also not with the faintest of smile, "My personal life is supposed to stay personal. I thought you understood that."

"Koda understands," he said. "But... Tyler tell me Kendall was crying. Said he wanted to help."

"Maybe I don't want or need his help," Kendall shook her head. "Look, Koda, my relationship with my father... that's between him and me. I don't need you, or Tyler, or the others trying to help me out. I'm a big girl now."

Koda nodded his head, but he still didn't feel better about the whole affair. Kendall seemed to soften up as she explained why she was angry, but Koda still hadn't earned her forgiveness.

Kendall could see the hurt in his eyes. She knew he hadn't meant to break her trust. Koda had a big heart and she had to admit, when Tyler picked her up off the streets, she had been a mess. Tyler was a good kid, it was only natural he would try to help. And when he got Koda involved, it was only a matter of time before the secret came out. Since they had met, Koda never liked it when Kendall cried. For some reason, still unknown to her, they had a special bond. He seemed to innately trust her from the moment he was thawed, and she always felt she could be a little more open to Koda than to anyone else.

"Look," Kendall sighed and set her bag down on her chair, "I can stay for dinner. I know how much you hate eating in here alone. But can we not talk to each other?"

"Koda stay quiet," he promised. "Won't talk. Don't want to... uh share secrets on accident."

Kendall nodded her head as he opened her bag. She offered Koda the meal she had packed that morning. As much as he loved the food from the cafe, she knew he needed some real food, with fruits and vegetables, in his diet. Koda hadn't yet learned to take himself down to the store, so Kendall always made sure to bring fresh food from her fridge to him – at least until he learned how to pay with money. Then she could take him shopping.

-Dino Charge-

Upstairs, the museum was closing up, but the Rangers were still in the cafe, cleaning up after the last few customers. They had all seen the fight between Kendall and Koda and at this point knew there was something going on. Curiosity got the better of them, and they were determined to figure out what.

Chase shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, mates. As long as I've known her, she's always been... uptight. Kicking her own father out of the museum doesn't surprise me at this point."

"Really?" Shelby asked and looked to the black Ranger. "You think Ms. Morgan really is so cold, she'd kick out her own father? Then why the break down afterwards?"

"Hey, I don't claim to know what she does when she leaves this place?" Chase sipped his drink. "For all we know, once this place closes down, she lets her hair down and is probably partying it up at some club down the street!"

"Ms. Morgan partying?" Shelby laughed. "You really think that's what she gets up to?"

"Maybe," Chase shrugged. "Maybe she hooked up with some guy and he dumped her. She was having a rough day, didn't want to talk to her dad, and Tyler caught her at a bad time."

"That's not it," Tyler shook his head. "I talked to Koda. It's something to do with her father. Koda seems to believe she's angry with him. And I was at her apartment. There wasn't a single picture of anyone anywhere."

"So?" Chase asked. "What's that got to prove? Kendall's a private person. She's never liked me messing with her personal life."

"Look, my father may have been in and out of my life at times, but we've still got a picture of him up on the mantle," Tyler said.

"My grandmother's ashes are on the mantle," Chase shrugged. "So what?"

"You don't find it a little weird that Kendall never even talks about her family?" Riley asked him. Chase shook his head.

"You guys don't get it. Kendall's not like us," he said. "She's got one of those brilliant minds that can't do anything but work. I've tried before to ask her about her home life. She just says she doesn't like to talk about it.

"Two seconds ago you were saying she hit the clubs after hours," Riley smirked. "So which is it?"

"I was just kidding around," Chase shrugged. "Look, as far as I'm concerned, she's one of those people that just... work, work, works. She must have chosen dinosaurs over a family reunion once and never looked back. But she does have us now..."

"Exactly," Tyler smiled. "I've never seen someone that upset before. Whatever's bothering Ms. Morgan... We've got to figure it out. We've got to help her."

"She's a big girl," Chase shrugged. "She can take care of herself."

"So you're not in the least bit concerned about it?" Shelby asked. "Your own Ranger mentor had a breakdown in the middle of the streets and..."

"It bothers me, but I know Kendall." Chase said. "She doesn't like to get personal. So until she starts making weapons that almost get us killed instead of destroying monsters, I'm going to keep my nose where it belongs."

Chase set his skateboard on the ground and rolled off.

"He's got a point," Riley said. "Ms. Morgan can look after herself. If she's a private person, we're probably the last people she'll want to talk to. Maybe, it's for the best we keep just a business relationship with her."

Riley put his dishtowel on the rack to dry then clocked out. "Either way, I'm headed to the track. See you guys tomorrow."

Tyler sighed as he watched two of his teammates go, then he turned to Shelby, "You gonna take off too?"

The pink Ranger shook her head, "Ms. Morgan and I may not always get along, but if she was as upset as you say she was... I kind of want to find out why."

"You realize this might make her yell at you, if she finds out what we're doing."

"Won't be the first or last time," Shelby shrugged. "I always say, it hasn't been a shift at work unless I irritate Ms. Morgan by accident somehow."

"Well, then, let's do some digging," Tyler smirked.


	6. Lies Over Coffee

Fortunately, Tyler and Shelby didn't need to go far before they started their digging. Once they closed up the cafe they made their way out of the museum. As they were headed to Tyler's jeep they almost bumped into Kendall's father. As it turned out, he had been waiting for Kendall just outside the museum. Tyler and Shelby immediately recognized him and after they introduced themselves as Kendall's employees, they accepted his invitation for coffee in the shop across the street.

"So, what brings you by?" Tyler asked. Mr. Morgan sighed.

"Unfortunately it's nothing good," he said. "And Kendall won't listen to me."

"Ms. Morgan can be pretty stubborn," Shelby muttered. "Even now, I ask her to join me on digs and she still says no."

"Are you even qualified?" Mr. Morgan asked. Shelby crossed her arms, then relaxed and sighed.

"That's not the point..."

"Ms. Morgan's been a little... tense since you two bumped into each other yesterday," Tyler explained to Mr. Morgan, without giving too much away. As far as he knew, Kendall's relationship with her father was strained. It was likely she wouldn't want him to know too much about her personal life, especially through him. "We were hoping you could tell us why?"

Mr. Morgan shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what she's got to complain about. I'm the one in rough shape."

"What do you mean?" Shelby asked.

"Turns out... I owe the bank a little more than I can afford. They're threatening to take the house away if I can't pay up. Kendall seems to be doing well for herself, so I was hoping she would be able to spare me some cash. She turned me down, though."

"Why?"

"Beats me," Mr. Morgan said. "I'm just worried now, because if I don't find another way to get the money soon, my family will be on the street. Her brother and sister won't have a roof over their heads..."

"Wait, Ms. Morgan's got a brother and sister?" Tyler asked.

"Ten and eight," Mr. Morgan nodded and showed the two Rangers their pictures in his wallet. "Cute, huh? And bright as buttons. Why, little Cory here could even tell you where that expression came from. Beats me, though."

"They're adorable," Shelby agreed. Mr. Morgan agreed as he put their pictures away.

"Just as well they've got their brains going for them. Hopefully, that means they'll get a good scholarship in a few years to take them through college. God knows we won't be able to afford it, especially if we can't keep the house."

"And Ms. Morgan won't help you out?" Tyler asked. "And she didn't say why?"

"She takes after her mother, that one," Mr. Morgan shook his head. "Completely and utterly selfish."

"Selfish?" Shelby frowned. She didn't always get along with Kendall, but knew that wasn't true. The museum did a lot of work to help out in the community, and whenever she got the chance, Kendall often volunteered her time or resources, sometimes both, to do her part. Food leftover from the cafe would go to the homeless shelters at the end of the night. Shelby knew that was Kendall's doing, because when she first got hired and refused to give a box of food away to a woman for free, she got an earful from Kendall about how that woman volunteered at the shelter and was taking the food to the less fortunate. It wasn't much sometimes, but it was far from selfish.

Not to mention, Kendall spent hours, sometimes days at a time working in her lab to build or improve on the Dino Chargers for the Rangers so they could save the planet. And she did it all without recognition. Since the Rangers had appeared, they got all the credit for their heroics. Kids idolised them, and would even walk around the museum and talk about which Ranger and dinosaurs were their favourite. They often credited Kendall's work to the Rangers, and she wouldn't say anything about it. She never complained once to the Rangers about getting all the limelight. In fact, she shied away from it, preferring to stay in the background.

"Ms. Morgan?" she asked. "Kendall Morgan? Dinosaur genius? Selfish?"

"Just like her mother," Mr. Morgan said, then looked between the two Rangers. Neither seemed to believe him, "What? Don't tell me she plays the pity card at work? Takes after her mother in more than one way, I guess. I knew it would be tough asking that girl to lend a hand, but I'm desperate. I'm willing to try anything to keep my kids in their home. You've got to believe that."

"We do, Mr. Morgan," Tyler said, then put some money down on the table to pay for all the coffees. Mr. Morgan tried to refuse as he reached for his wallet, but Tyler shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Save up. Shelby and I got to get home, though."

Tyler grabbed Shelby by the arm and started to pull her out of the cafe. When they got back to his car, Shelby glared at him.

"You paid for his coffee? He was lying about Ms. Morgan. She might be cold hearted, but she's not selfish..."

"Yeah, I know," Tyler nodded. "That's why we got out of there," he climbed into his jeep. "I had it all wrong. Ms. Morgan and I aren't alike."

"What are you talking about?" Shelby asked and buckled herself in.

"My dad went on a lot of what he called adventures," Tyler explained. "I didn't get to see much of him growing up. And when he was home, he worked on his theories a lot. We'd be lucky if he came out of his room for dinner on most nights. But at least he got to know me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he showed up to most of my parent teacher nights," Tyler said. "He taught me all about fossils. Everything I know is thanks to him. And whenever he could, he would tuck me in at night. Dad wasn't always there, but at least he was still around. He still... he was dad. He'd be the first to defend me and the last to abandon me. That's why I'm looking for him. Something must have happened to take him away for this long."

"Tyler..."

"Mr. Morgan didn't give me the impression he knew or cared at all about Kendall," Tyler said. "And did you see his wallet? He's got pictures of two kids, neither of them is Ms. Morgan."

"So?" Shelby asked. "You mean to tell me you'll carry around a picture of your twenty something year old kid?"

"Hell yeah," Tyler nodded. "My kid's going to be amazing. Why wouldn't I?"

"It's cute when they're kids," Shelby shrugged.

"I just... I've got this feeling, Shelby," Tyler said. "I can't explain it, I just know. Ms. Morgan didn't kick her dad out because she's cold. He's a leech."

"Okay, Ms. Morgan makes a lot of money," Shelby agreed, "But she's not loaded. She's not on the Fortune 500, so why would he be trying to leech off her money?"

"I just... it's a feeling. Tell me I'm wrong."

"I... I don't know," Shelby shrugged. "I want to think you are but... he did give me some weird vibes."

"I'll bet, the whole house getting taken away thing is a lie. And we're going to find out," Tyler smirked. "While you were looking at his two kids, I was checking out his ID. I know where he lives."

"So?"

"So, what if we talked to Mrs. Morgan?"

"Kendall's mom?"

"Maybe... maybe not," Tyler said. "That's what we're going to find out."


	7. For The Kids

After what had been a very long day, Kendall was glad to return to her apartment. And for the first time in a long time, she was glad from the solitude. Since her father had come to town, and since she had allowed herself to break down in front of the Rangers (though not intentionally), she had felt their pitiful stares and knew they had plenty to ask her. Her fight with Koda had only made it worse, and though she had forgiven the cave man for sharing her secret, she still wished it hadn't happened.

Still, at home, in her apartment, she could pretend everything was better. She could focus on her work without having to watch over the Rangers. She could curl up on the couch, read up on new research papers, or maybe even enjoy some sitcoms on TV. Here at home, she could do what she wanted, she could be who she wanted without fear of being judged or pitied.

She changed into her pyjamas to be comfortable and pulled out some papers from her bag. She made herself a bowl of soup as she looked over her work for the day. Everything seemed to be in order both for the museum and the Rangers. Maybe she would give herself the night off. The TV remote was calling to her, after all.

But before she could get completely settled, she heard a knock at the door. It was a curious sound, only because it never happened. She didn't give out her address, never signed up for anything to be delivered to her home, and didn't have any friends or family to call on her. The building didn't allow for solicitors, so she had to wonder who wanted her.

She checked through the peep hole, saw her father's distorted figure and considered not answering the door. It wasn't the cruelest thing she could do to him. He had, after all, abandoned her twenty years before. She owed him nothing.

But a knot formed in her stomach, not for her father, but for the story he had woven. If it was, in fact, true, he had two kids depending on him. The thought alone infuriated her. He had abandoned her, his first born, yet was going to desperate lengths to look after his two other children?

But if the story was true, those kids were her family; whether she liked it or not. She couldn't risk putting them out on the street. So she opened the door, but kept the chain on, and looked to her father.

"I want proof," she said. "That you're actually going to use this money to look after your kids."

"Look, Kendall, I know this is awkward," her father pleaded with her through the little hole the chain on the door allowed. "I know it's been a while since I've seen you..."

"Screw it, dad. I want proof. You need my money, but I want to see it go to the kids – so they'll be looked after."

"Kenny..."

"Don't even," she growled. "Get your kids, and your wife, if she's still around, and bring them here. I'll write out the check to her."

"They don't... know about you," her father breathed, then looked to her apologetically. "I'd rather keep it that way."

"So where were they going to think the money came from?"

"An old friend," her father pointed to the chain, "Kendall, please, let me in. Let me explain..."

"I don't need an explanation, dad. I got your message, loud and clear..."

"Kendall..."

"The only reason you came back here was for the money."

"It doesn't mean anything that I've been following your work for a year? Do you know how proud it makes me to know you're following in my footsteps?"

Kendall sighed and shook her head, "If anything, that makes this worse. Dad, if you're really desperate for money, you'll bring whatever's left of your real family here, at this time, tomorrow."

"Kendall..."

"But I'm not waiting up," she said and shut the door. Her father knocked again, but she ignored it until he eventually walked away. She tried to curl up on the couch. She tried to enjoy the night off she had granted herself, but she couldn't. She cursed herself for being so weak as she grabbed her bag, pulled out her check book and wrote out her father's name. Then she opened the door and found him sitting in the hallway.

"How much?" she asked. He jumped to his feet.

"A couple grand," he begged her. "Three, at most, just to get us by. I swear, I've got another job lined up, my wife's working overtime. We'll have next month's bills covered and we'll be able to take it from there. We just need to get by this month."

"You keep a roof over the kids' heads," she told him as she wrote the amount. "You take care of them, alright?"

"I swear, Kendall, I'm not going to screw this one up," her father assured her as he took the written check. He tried to give her a kiss on the cheek, but she pulled away from him.

"I'll let you meet them," he told her as he started for the elevator. "My wife too. I promise. She'll want to thank you in person. Just... don't tell them who you really are."

"Dad..."

"You can meet your brother and sister too. I promise, you'll love them. Cory's into dinosaurs too. He swears he'll be a paleontologist when he's older. And Katie... she looks just like you. She's... she's why I started wondering about you."

"Bring them by tomorrow, I guess," Kendall said before she turned back into her apartment. She closed the door, put the chain back on, and then gave a little smile.


	8. Family All Along

The following morning, Kendall was in her lab bright and early. Koda woke up to find her already at work, and started to rush around to get ready for his own job. Kendall chuckled as she reassured him he wasn't running late.

"I got in a bit early," she said, then gestured to the breakfast she brought him, "You've got plenty of time to wolf it down."

"Good," Koda said as he picked up the plate. "Hungry."

"Can I ask you a favour, Koda?" Kendall asked as he ate. Koda looked to her worriedly.

"Another secret?" he asked. "Not good at keeping secrets."

"Yeah, I got that," Kendall said. "But... I'm not good at apologies. Can you tell Tyler I'm sorry for blowing up at him yesterday. He was just trying to be nice and... Well, I'm not the friendliest of people..."

Koda gave a little nod to say he understood as he finished up his meal, then he started to look around for his uniform. As he did, the Rangers came down the elevator. Tyler was in the lead. Kendall was about to greet them all, and wanted to sound friendly as she did, but was interrupted before she could get a word out as Tyler dropped two printed images.

"What is this?" she asked. Tyler pointed.

"I Googled this," he said. "They aren't your siblings. They're kid models for some clothing company."

"What are you talking about?" Kendall asked. "I never thought for a second..."

"We... kind of met up with your father for coffee after work yesterday," Shelby explained, a little nervously as Kendall started to glare at her. She put up her hands, "We were only trying to help. I promise."

"You had coffee with my... What don't you guys understand about my _personal_ business!"

"Kendall not good at apology," Koda explained to the Rangers, but Kendall shushed him.

"That's because this isn't an apology!"

"Ms. Morgan, we were only trying to help," Tyler said. "We bumped into him and thought a little chat couldn't hurt. But Shelby and I got a strange vibe from your father! It's a good thing we talked to him."

"A good thing?"

"Did he ask you for money?" Shelby asked. Kendall frowned.

"That is none of your..."

"Because he's in debt? And he's trying to look after his kids?"

"How... However you found that out..."

"Well, if he's still asking, don't give him anything," Tyler said. "He showed us these pictures of kids in his wallet. He printed them off the internet. I saw his license, got his address, and we went there to do a little digging."

"You did what?"

"Kendall, calm down," Chase told her as he came over. "I was against this too at first, but... you're going to want to hear this, I'm sure."

"Your father's a dirt bag," Tyler said. "He lives with his mother. The bank isn't trying to take his house for unpaid debts. He's a gambling addict and his mother cut off his... well, I guess we can call it an allowance. Plus, he's only ever been married to your mother and you're his only child."

"Ms. Morgan, you're not going to give him any money, are you?" Shelby asked. "He's not going to do anything good with it."

"I..." Kendall looked down at the pictures of the two kids and shook her head. "I already did. He stopped by yesterday and..."

"We can probably still get it back," Chase suggested. "Give him a good Ranger shakedown..."

"Don't get involved," Kendall shook her head. "I wrote a check, I'll just cancel it before he can cash it... if he hasn't already. Besides, it's no big deal."

"No big deal?" Shelby asked. "Your father scamming you is..."

"Nothing I shouldn't have seen coming," Kendall shrugged. "That's... that's why I made out the check. In case something like this came up. In case he lied."

Kendall looked up at the Rangers, "At least now, he's off my back."

"Well, he'll never want to show his face around here again," Chase said and cracked his knuckles.

Shelby looked to Kendall, "So, everything's okay, then? You're not mad that Tyler and I..."

"Just... don't make a habit of digging up my personal life. I'd like to keep it... personal," Kendall said. "But... thank you."

"Any time," Tyler smiled. He could sense Kendall needed some time. He wouldn't know what he'd do with himself if he found out his father had been trying to con him. Though he doubted his father was up to anything as shady as Kendall's, it was hard to just imagine. "Come on, guys. The cafe isn't going to open itself."

"Do we have to go up there?" Shelby complained. "Isn't there some work we can do down here?"

"Come on," Riley put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her towards the elevator, "The job isn't that bad. And maybe if we're lucky, some alien freak will terrorize the city again."

"Does it make me a bad person if I'm hoping for that?" Chase asked. He, Tyler, Shelby and Riley got into the elevator before it made its way up. Kendall breathed out heavily and looked longingly at the two pictures of the kids before her. Koda, who was still in the lab, put his hand on her shoulder.

"Kendall upset?"

"I was stupid," she said. "All those years, I wrote letters to him and didn't get a thing in return... Why did I think this time would be any different?"

"Get money back," Koda said. "Koda good hunter back in day. Could find father for you..."

"Let him have the money," Kendall shook her head. "That's not what upsets me."

Koda tilted his head, "But... money important in this world. Money like fire. Dead without."

Kendall turned to look at Koda, "He made me believe I had a family," she whispered. "For the second time, I let him trick me into believing I could have a family. Albeit, a secret one. One I probably never really got to see with siblings I'd probably never get to know. But it felt good knowing they were out there."

"Family?" Koda asked her. "Kendall has a family," he pointed to himself, "Eats with Koda every night."

"Koda..."

"Rangers... uh... protect Kendall," he explained. "Find out father bad man. Try to stop Kendall making fool of self. Chase even... uh threaten to kick father butt"

"Trust me, Koda, they don't even see me as a friend," Kendall shook her head. "I make their weapons and sign their pay checks. That's all they want me for. That's not a family."

"That all Kendall do," Koda told her. "Friends upstairs working. Kendall down here. Hard to make friends when always alone."

"I like my privacy," Kendall shrugged. "I work better alone. I..."

Koda gave Kendall a look and she sighed, "Alright, maybe it's not that I enjoy my solitude. Maybe it's just that I'm used to it."

Kendall looked down at the pictures again, "It's just... mom always told me to keep my distance from people. They'll break your heart. It was practically our family motto. After she died, I was so hopeful dad would come and get me I... I never let myself get close to my foster family or anyone. I thought, when dad came, I'd be out of there, so it was foolish to make friends. As soon as I was old enough for college, I left and never looked back. I've been on my own since, working hard because... well, that's all I can do. I guess I've convinced myself I don't need anyone."

Koda pulled Kendall in for a hug. She relaxed and put her arms around him.

"Kendall has Koda now," he promised her. "And all Rangers too. Will be Kendall's family."

"You can try," Kendall chuckled. "I'm not the easiest to get along with."

"Koda is cave man," Koda smiled. "Not easy get along with either. Sometimes eats too much."

"You are eating me out of house and home," Kendall nodded. "And your little snacks on the job are costing the cafe a pretty penny."

"Sorry..."

"I've been paying you for a while," Kendall said. "Surely you've got enough saved up to start grocery shopping for yourself. What if you helped me be friends with the others, and tonight, I'll teach you how to buy stuff."

Koda nodded his head and hugged Kendall again. This time, a little too tight. She didn't mind. In all honesty, it had been a long time since anyone tried to hug her. But this time, she doubted she would have to wait as long for the next one.

Maybe only long enough for her ribs to heal. She tapped Koda's back, letting him know she had enough. He set her down and she rubbed her ribs.

"Yeah, we'll work on those too."


End file.
